Miss Universe 2025 crowned following huge scandal

Miss Mexico has officially been crowned as Miss Universe 2025, but her journey to victory was far from smooth.

Fatima Bosch was announced as the winner of the global pageant earlier today (21 November), but she almost didn't make it to the final at all, after walking out of the competition just weeks ago.

The 25-year-old sensationally exited an event in Thailand, where this year's competition was held, at the start of the month after being berated by a Thai official.

According to reports, organiser and Thai media official Nawat Itsaragrasil reprimanded Bosch in front of dozens of other contestants for failing to post promotional content on social media, before calling security when she objected.

When other contestants also began leaving the event in solidarity, they were told they would be disqualified from the competition for supporting her.

At the time, reigning Miss Universe Victoria Theilvig, from Denmark, defended Bosch, saying the issue was about 'women's rights'.

"To trash another girl, it’s beyond disrespectful, and it’s nothing I’ve ever done," she said as per the Guardian. "That’s why I’m taking my coat and I’m going."

Itsaragrasil later apologised, claiming he'd been misunderstood, however, he shared a cryptic message to social media after the win was announced, writing: "A billion words that cannot be said."

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the beauty queen for defending herself, saying it was 'an example of how we women should speak out,' when faced with aggression.

The Miss Universe Organisation were also forced to speak out against Itsaragrasil's behaviour, branding it 'malicious.'

Meanwhile, many people have suggested that the backstage drama helped Bosch get the win, implying that Miss Universe was trying to save its reputation following the fallout.

Just a week after Bosch walked out of the event, two of the judges resigned from their posts, accusing organisers of rigging the selection process for the pageant, which the organisation has denied.

One of the judges to stand down, French-Lebanese musician Omar Harfouch, claims there had been a 'secret vote' two days earlier to pre-select 30 contestants out of the total 136.

Taking to Instagram, he said: "I could not stand before the public and television cameras, pretending to legitimise a vote I never took part in.

"Some of the countries eliminated through this process could be at war, discriminated against, or geopolitically sensitive."

The Miss Universe Organisation has seen a decline in viewers in recent years, with many insisting it has failed to modernise to draw in younger followers.